Plug and cap connecter



April 20, 1937. S, OKlNQ 2,078,154

PLUG AND CAP CONNECTER vFiled NOV. l5, 1935 Anuliimii .hl'g'eo /eino,

ATTORNEY INVENTOR Patented pr. 20.1937

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to plug and cap connecters and has for an object to provide a device of this character wherein the prongs of the cap may be inserted in a novel annular contact carried byv the plug by other than straight line movement.

A further object of the invention is to provide the cap and plug with center contacts which permit of the members being assembled and disassembled without binding or injury to the parts 1c under the most severe conditions of service.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which will be formed of a few strong, durable and inexpensive parts, which will be easy to manufacture, and which will not easily get out of order.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood 0 that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claim without departing from the spirit or sacriiicing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing forming part of this specication,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a plug and cap connecter constructed in accordance with the invention and showing the parts separated.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view of the cap.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the cap.

Figure l is a top plan view of the plug, and Figure 5 is al detail perspective view of the annular contact carried by the plug.

Referring now to the drawing in which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various views, Ill designates a plug having an annular recess i`I and an axial recess I2 formed concentrically in the top face, the latter having a flared mouth to promote easy entry of the center terminal of the associated cap.

An annular contact I3 is disposed in the recess II and preferably the contact is formed of an endless channeled metal band of good electrical conductivity and includes an outer ange I4, an

4 4 inner flange I5, and a web I6 connecting both anges. The inner flange is imperforate while the outer ange is formed with a plurality of slits I1 which extend from the top edge of the flange to 0 approximately the web and provide resilient tongues I8 around the entire periphery of the contact. The tongues are deformed inwardly above the web to provide V-shaped projections I9 which snap into similar shaped recesses 20 formed in the 55 prongs 2| of the cap 22 as will later be described.

A threaded terminal 23 is disposed on the exterior of the plug below the contact and is electrically connected to the contact by wires 24 two of such wires being shown in Figure 2, although as many wires may be employed for this purpose as is desired. f

The cap 22 is provided with a forked axial opening 25 to receive the circuit wires, the branches 26 of the opening communicating with a recess 21 formed in the bottom face of the cap. The prongs 2| are disposed between thebranches and the rim of the cap, as shown in Figure 3, and each is provided with a circumierentially grooved head 28 which is imbedded in the material of the cap and iirmly anchors the prong to the cap. Both prongs are connected by a semi-circular metal connecter strip 29 into which is threaded a screw 30 for attaching one of the circuit wires.

The cap is provided with a center terminal comprising a circumferentially grooved head 3| which is imbedded in the material of the cap, a pin 32, and a cylindrical tip 33, there being a. sleeve 34 of insulating material disposed on the pin 32 extending from the V-head to the tip, as shown in Figure 2. The head 3| is provided with a lateral metal arm 35 which extends radially along the bottom of the recess 21 and a screw 36 is threaded into the end of the arm 35 to receive the other circuit wire as will be understood.

A metal cup 31 is disposed in the bottom of the center recess I2 of the plug and the cylindrical side wall of the cup is deformed to provide a V- shaped proflection 38 which is adapted to spring into a -groove 39 in the tip 33 of the cap center terminal and yieldably lock the cap to the plug. The cup is slit at intervals, as shown at 40, to make the cup resilient. A pin 4I is formed integral with the bottom of the cup and extends through an axial opening 42 in the plug. The pin terminates in a disc head 43 which forms the center terminal of the plug.

In operation the cap may be applied to the plug by merely inserting the tip 33 of the center terminalin the recess I2 of the plug and then pressing upon the cap to engage the prongs 2l with the resilient tongues of the contacts I3 and such pressure may be applied while swiveling the cap axially, -'as no care need be taken to guide the prongs into a pair of contacts as is customary in applying the cap to ordinary plugs.

From the above description it is thought that the construction and operation of the invention will be fully understood without further explanation.

What is claimed is: projections on their inner faces adapted to enter A connecter including a plug having an annucorrespondingly shaped'recesses in the prongs of lar recess in one end face, a channeled metal ana cooperating cap and lock the cap to the plug, a nulus in the recess having spaced circular flanges threaded terminal disposed on the exterior of the and a web connecting the anges, the outermost plug and electrically connected to the annulus, 5 flange being slit from the edge to approximately and a center terminal disposed axially in the plug. the web to form spring tongues, said spring tangues being provided with transverse V-shaped SHIGEO OKINO. 

